Chapter 4

Disclaimer- If I owned sailor moon, what am I doing writing a fanfic about it?

Artemis ambled slowly down the hallway. He quickly reached Usa’s bedroom, and peered in side. The queen lay in bed, sleeping peacefully. Mamoru lay beside her with his arm laying gently over her.

Artemis sighed as he entered the bedroom. He walked silently to the queen’s nightside table and placed the drawings on top.

He turned and left the room, looking back at Mamoru and Usa sleeping so happily. He sighed with envy and continued hs stroll. The king and queen are the luckiest people alive, he thought briefly.

He re-entered the cat’s bedroom and saw Luna sitting on the bed and grooming her paws and back. He sighed and jumped up on the bed sadly.
“So?” Artemis sat on his haunches and watched Luna patiently. She looked up briefly, and then continued.
“So-what Artemis?” She asked as if overcome with brief amnesia.
“Please Luna, this is important! Why can’t you talk about this?”
“I don’t want to have to make this decsion, Artemis. Its too important, and if we make the wrong choice, we could ruin our lives! You know it can only be on one night every 10 years. Its next week and its too stressful”.
She spoke in such a way that it sounded unimportant to her. “Well Luna, I’ve decided. I want to go thru with it-” she gave him a quick surprised glance and then continued her grooming.
“If you don’t want to. Then just forget about it and you can transform after the next ten years!” He yelled and jumped angrily to the floor.

Luna watched him, and without a second thought followed him and sat beside him in the center of the floor. She nuzzled his neck with her nose and purred.
“Please Artemis, I know this is important. But I have so many responsibilities-”
“Luna, Usa is grown. Yes she needs your help, but she doesn’t need your guidance. You can become a person and follow your dreams, not the schedule of destiny.”
She sighed. “Ok, Artemis. I’ll do it-we’ll both do it”.

Artemis smiled. He licked her cheek and somehow, they both felt sad. But it would soon turn out to be the best decision they ever made.

***One Week Later***

As the night drew closer with the day of their transformation approaching, nothing seemed real. Luna lay on her side. Artemis lay on his stomach beside her, both pairs of eyes open and unmoving. “Artemis” a voice called from the hallway. He turned his head and saw Minako standing nervously, still dressed in her senshi fuku.
“The queen and I would like to speak to you and Luna.”

Both cats stood and moved silently to the doorway. They followed behind Mina, seemingly sad and depressed.
“Artemis” Luna whispered as they walked the long path to the queen’s conference room. “I don’t want Usa to know I’m scared”.
“Don’t worry, Luna, she just wants to help. Shes matured a great deal since becoming queen and watching both her parents die. You must let her take the guide posistion for now”. Luna nodded as they entered the room.

Both cats walked to the queen and bowed. She smiled and watched as they jumped onto the table.
“Luna, Artemis,” Usagi began, “You both have been such great friends and confidants to Minako and I. We want you to know now, on the evening before your transformation, that we are happy for you and support your decision.”
Luna sighed. “Usa, I must tell you now, so you are not surprised when its over. I am a woman under all this fur. I am older than you and will look accordingly” she talked with such a air that all three others in the room were silenced even in their minds.
“And I-we want you both to know that even though we will look differently, we still want to be your guides, guardians, leaders and friends.”
She stepped up to the queen, and Usagi turned 14 again. She took Luna in her arms and Luna allowed her to hold her tightly. “I love you Luna, and you’ll always be like a mother to me” Usa whispered. Mina stood beside Artemis and scratched his ear. The night was going to be a long one.